A prospective study of age trends of high-risk human papillomavirus infection in rural China

摘要

Background In China, high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) prevalence is unexpectedly high in older women, but the possible reasons have not been well studied yet. This study investigated the age trends of HR-HPV infection in a prospective study. Methods A total of 7397 women aged 25-65?years without cervical precancer or cancer were evaluated during 2010-2011 with a stratified sample of 2791 women re-evaluated after one year. Test results for careHPV and careHPV16/18/45 were used to describe the HR-HPV prevalence, incidence and clearance. Risk factors associated with HR-HPV infections were explored using a logistic regression model. Results The overall HR-HPV prevalence was 13.1% at baseline, with a peak of 19.3% in women aged 55-59?years. The prevalence of HR-HPV (p for trends?(p for trends?=?0.159). Risk factors that associated with HR-HPV infection differed between younger and older women. Conclusions The greater HR-HPV prevalence in older versus younger women in rural China may be explained by a cohort effect, higher than expected incidence, and/or poorer clearance at older age.